Rural communities will benefit from better access to GP services with new funding announced as part of the Australian Government’s Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook.
More than $33 million has been earmarked by the Australian Government to enable people living in rural and remote communities to use Telehealth videoconferencing for GP appointments from November 2019.
Rural Health West chief executive Tim Shackleton said the announcement was a step in the right direction to reduce the gap in access between health services in rural and remote areas and in the city.
“Rural Health West has been one of the voices calling for funding to support patients to access GP services via videoconferencing, so we are very pleased to see the introduction of this funding,” Mr Shackleton said.
“In Western Australia there are many communities located more than 50 kilometres from the nearest GP service or that don’t receive a visiting service.
“From 1 November 2019, those communities and many others across Australia will be able to use videoconferencing for GP consults, providing these communities with choice for the first time.”
While Medicare funding has been available for Telehealth visits for some medical specialists since 2013, patients have not been able to access Medicare to visit GPs via Telehealth.
“We look forward to seeing further detail about how the new GP Telehealth funding can be accessed by rural communities and if required, will work with our rural doctors to introduce new GP Telehealth services in WA,” Mr Shackleton said.
In 2017, Rural Health West collaborated with the WA Primary Health Alliance (WAPHA) and Western Australian General Practice Education and Training (WAGPET) to prepare a submission asking the Australian Government to introduce a Medicare billing item to support the use of videoconferencing for people living in communities without a resident GP.
Submissions have also been made by the Australian College for Rural and Remote Medicine and the Rural Doctors Association of Australia.
Federal Minister for Health Greg Hunt previously indicated the government was looking at Medicare funding for GP Telehealth at the GP18 conference in the Gold Coast in October.
